MUSC became the first in South Carolina to implant a new pacemaker that offers more customized treatment for heart patients that can translate to fewer surgeries.

The Unify Quadra Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator and Quartet Left Ventricular Quadripolar Pacing Lead is a new pacing technology developed by St. Jude Medical. It offers additional pacing options that can reduce the need for another operation to reposition a lead and offers physicians the ability to more effectively manage the individualized needs of patients with heart failure.

Robert B. Leman, M.D., implanted the Unify Quadra quadripolar pacing system to regulate and resynchronize the heartbeat of a heart failure patient December. Since then MUSC has handled six cases. "It's a great new technology," he said.

The defibrillator has a pacing lead with four electrodes, which can improve how the heart is paced, improve heart muscle function and reduce common problems that could otherwise lead to more surgeries for heart patients.

Multiple pacing configurations allow the physician to implant the lead in the most stable position without making trade-offs in electrical performance. This includes pacing closer to the base of the left ventricle, which recent studies associate with better patient outcomes and that may be more difficult with traditional bipolar leads. The quadripolar pacing electrodes also provide physicians more options, such as pacing around scar tissue in the heart.

Frank Cuoco, M.D., a specialist in electrophysiology who also has performed the procedure, said he's excited about the new technology and how it may help doctors avoid common complications and maximize the clinical benefits for their heart failure patients.

Friday, June 1, 2012

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